With some creative planning and forethought, these times don’t need to be stressful, if we keep looking far enough down the road. Many of us with budget and time restraints may just need to design our stages in, well, phases.

With some creative planning and forethought, these times don’t need to be stressful, if we keep looking far enough down the road. Many of us with budget and time restraints may just need to design our stages in, well, phases.

The January-February 2018 issue of Worship Facilities Magazine offers articles about the many steps a church had to take in the aftermath of a fire, and another involving a church making the jump to 4K.

LED Walls: As Costs Drop, Many Churches Look to Such Systems

One of the beautiful things about an LED video wall system is modularity. The capability to configure the panels in virtually any setup is very attractive to designers for creative elements.

For churches considering LED video wall systems, install choices include the ROE Visual Black OnyX BO3, featuring a 3.4mm pixel pitch, with Brompton processing, shown here having been installed at the Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama, in March of last year.

Technology Resource

The January-February 2018 issue of Worship Facilities Magazine offers articles about the many steps a church had to take in the aftermath of a fire, and another involving a church making the jump to 4K.

Josh Holowicki · January 11, 2018

LED video wall systems are becoming more and more popular, to where they are often featured in house of worship environments.

Stage lighting, as well as natural light coming into your space (if you have windows), will not negatively impact the visual quality of LED video panels.

Over the last several years, the quality of these video wall products has increased significantly, as pricing for these systems has decreased. These two factors have allowed companies like E2i Design, to bring LED video wall systems to the forefront of our conversations about projects with churches as a solid alternative to projection systems.

However, there are several factors at play to determine if such an option is feasible.

While each system and project is unique, there are some baseline considerations to look at when beginning to discuss the pros and cons between an LED wall and projection system.

One of the most important things to consider when looking at an LED video wall system is how it is going to be used. Are you planning to set it up and leave it up forever, or are you intending to use it as part of your overall visual and scenic look for your stage designs?

If you are using the panels for IMAG to replace projection screens, you most likely will not be taking it apart anytime soon. But if it is part of your overall stage looks, you will probably want to break it down and reconfigure the wall into other looks in the future.

One of the beautiful things about an LED video wall system is modularity. The capability to configure the panels in virtually any setup is very attractive to designers for creative elements, and is one of the key differentiators between LED and projection. Usually you wouldn’t want to take a pair of scissors to your HD screen surface and cut it up into smaller pieces!

Let’s say you do want to use it for a visual element and would like the capability to reconfigure the panels three to five times a year. If that is something of importance to you, not all panels are created equal.

Some manufacturers are much better with their design of the frame that makes up the overall video panel than others. Most manufacturers require tools, levels, and all sorts of other pieces of equipment to put a LED video wall together.

Others have a very easy locking system that requires no tools, to where setup is fast and easy. This is very important, if you want to reconfigure the system regularly, because as we know, time is precious.

Josh Holowicki is a passionate Christ follower who has dedicated his energy to helping “The Church” incorporate technology to enhance the worship experience. Josh has a unique background in that he not only holds a B.B.A. from Eastern Michigan University, but has also spent five years on staff as the lighting director and one of two scenic designers at NorthRidge Church in Plymouth, Michigan. Having studied under or worked with some of the most recognized names in both the Christian and secular lighting industry, Josh has fulfilled what he believes is his personal mission and calling by founding E2i Design, an organization whose focus is to Educate, Empower, and Inspire ministries in the area of visual impact on the live worship experience. Josh lives in Michigan with his wife of 12 years, Michelle and their seven pound Yorkshire terrier Buster.

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The January-February 2018 issue of Worship Facilities Magazine offers articles about the many steps a church had to take in the aftermath of a fire, and another involving a church making the jump to 4K.

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